Naming of Kabalega International Airport & Kabalega Industrial Park: Timely Government Tributes to the Legacy of Omukama Kabalega on the 100 Year mark.
In a significant gesture of national remembrance, the Government of Uganda has honored one of the country’s most iconic historical figures—Omukama Cwa II Kabalega—by naming two of its most ambitious development projects after him: Kabalega International Airport and Kabalega Industrial Park.
The development was announced by the State Minister for Public Service Hon. Grace Mary Mugasa on April 05th, 2023 following a cabinet meeting. “I want to thank President Museveni for choosing to rename the airport in Hoima to Kabalega Interntional Airport, Hoima. This comes at a time when we are celebrating 100 Years of Omukama Kabalega” Mugasa tweeted.
“Oil and Gas based industrial park in Hoima District will also be named after the Great Omukama Kabalega. Thank you President Museveni for this great choice. Bunyoro stands firm in history.”
Omukama Kabalega
The renaming comes amid celebration of 100 years since the death of Kabalega in 1923 having led Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom between 1870 – 1899.
Kabalega was the first leader in Uganda to stage resistance against colonial rule. In 1892, shortly after his enthronement, at just the age of 18, Kabalega’s army repelled Sir Samuel Baker‘s troops that had crossed into his territory from Sudan forcing them to flee north and retreat to Acholi and camp at fort Patiko. The resistance would go on for almost two(2) decades, until 1899 when he was captured at Kangai (present-day Dokolo), along with his compatriot, Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda, who had later joined him in resisting colonialism, with the two captured upon betrayal by native allies to colonial forces.
Kabalega and his compatriot would later be forced into exile, through port Kisumu, Kenya, from where he was taken to Mont Plaisir, Marjorie Prison, and later to Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Significance of these tributes
These tributes mark a historic alignment between Uganda’s modern development trajectory and its pre-independence legacy of resistance, leadership, and self-determination. Omukama Kabalega, who ruled Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom from 1869 to 1899, is remembered for his unyielding resistance against British colonialism, his visionary governance, and early reforms that sought to unify and strengthen his kingdom.
The Kabalega International Airport, located in Kabaale, Hoima District, is set to become Uganda’s second international gateway and a major logistical hub for the country’s oil and gas industry. Its naming underscores the regional and national significance of Kabalega’s legacy—especially in the heart of Bunyoro, the very region he once ruled and defended with fierce conviction.
Similarly, the Kabalega Industrial Park, under development as part of Uganda’s industrialization strategy, stands as a modern symbol of the economic self-reliance that Kabalega himself championed over a century ago. The park is poised to support value addition, job creation, and industrial growth, particularly in the emerging oil and gas sector.
These namings are timely and meaningful, coming just at the onset of the centennial commemoration of Kabalega’s death in 1923. They reflect a growing recognition by the state of the importance of honoring indigenous African leaders who shaped the foundations of modern Uganda through sacrifice, resistance, and vision.
Beyond symbolism, these government tributes serve as an invitation—to bridge the past with the future, to root national progress in cultural pride, and to ensure that the story of Kabalega is not only remembered, but meaningfully lived.
In honoring Kabalega, Uganda honors the enduring values of courage, unity, and self-determination—values that remain as vital today as they were a century ago.
An article by Kabalega Foundation Communication Team.
